


Slice of Rhife

by A_Cat_Named_Shoe



Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26164645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Cat_Named_Shoe/pseuds/A_Cat_Named_Shoe
Summary: A quiet evening in Andrea's apartment; Andrea takes care of a put-off chore, Cloud drops in for late night cuddles.
Relationships: Andrea Rhodea/Cloud Strife
Comments: 11
Kudos: 34





	Slice of Rhife

**Author's Note:**

> I'm using the setting of MoonlightPastime's [Delivery (from Strife)](/works/23845003). If you're not familiar, all you need to know is that it's post-Advent Children, Andrea has his own place, and Andrea and Cloud are dating c:

The drone of the hair trimmer partially drowns out the music Andrea has put on out of habit. Starting on his right, he drags the sharp buzzing blades up and around his ear, shearing slow and steady rows up the side of his skull. It's a simple enough process – ascending with broad strokes, pausing to brush off shorn hair, go back over anything the razor didn't catch on the first pass.

He _could_ have gone to a barber, but it's just more convenient to do it himself – it doesn't actually take that long, saves on travel time and works with the long hours he keeps. The only downsides are having to clean up after himself, and it's a little tricky shaving the back of one's own head. Oh well, he'll just have to be thorough.

The mindlessness of the chore allows Andrea's mind to wander over happenings of the day, idle planning for tomorrow, messages he needs to follow up on, Cloud's brief check in call from the other day, wondering when he'd be back from the latest string of deliveries... an easy trail of thoughts to get caught up in, if unfortunately bittersweet. Andrea's heart is already overcome with fondness for the quiet, thoughtful, _unfairly beautiful_ young man when he's present, so long absences just leave Andrea pining. 

Before long, he's finished the right side and top, and starts again on the left side. Around the other ear, up a few inches, pause to clean off the razor, hum along to the music he can hear again for a moment-

A knocking at the front door breaks through the dancer's reverie. Glancing up at the mirror, yes, there's a noticeable stripe of hair standing out, as well as the ragged edges around the back he hasn't gotten to yet. Not his best look, but... the list of people who would come calling at this time of night is quite short, and a certain name is at the very top of it with promising odds.

Hopeful, Andrea hurriedly brushes off his scalp and bare shoulders before grabbing his bathrobe, calling out “One moment!” as he shrugs it on and makes his way to the front door. He is going to be _extremely_ put-out if it's not Cloud, he thinks as he unlocks the door.

But it is – Cloud Strife, delightfully real, kitted out in his all-black travel attire, standing on the front step. Andrea leans against the open door, smile fond, and takes in the vision of perfection that so frequently takes center stage in his thoughts. “Sorry for the wait, lovely.”

The sequence of emotions that cross Cloud's face – subtle relief at seeing Andrea, slight surprise as his eyes flicker down to Andrea's attire, and further into bemusement as they come back up to the state of his hair – have Andrea grinning wider. Cloud seems a little at a loss.

“Uh... this a bad time?”

“With you here? _Never_ ,” Andrea replies emphatically, hand coming up to his collar as if affronted by the suggestion. That earns him one of Cloud's patented eyerolls, put a bit more at ease by Andrea's more on-brand ridiculousness. The dancer chuckles, and then sighs dramatically.

“Alright, I admit it – your timing could be a bit better. Can you wait for me to finish making myself presentable?”

“Got no where else to be tonight,” Cloud says, finally taking the unspoken invitation to come inside.

“Wonderful.” Directly contradicting his request to wait, Andrea pulls the other man to him as soon as the door is closed, one arm slipping around that slim waist and the other hand coming up to caress his jaw, dipping down to claim his lips. Cloud seems amicable enough, going easily into the dancer's embrace, his own hands gently resting at Andrea's hip and bicep, a soft hum escaping as he presses back.

Andrea meant to keep this to a brief 'welcome back', he truly did, but it's too easy to get caught up in the simple, all-encompassing pleasure of Cloud being physically present. One kiss turns into a series of kisses, hand sliding back to stroke through soft yellow spikes, pulling the other even closer. Cloud breaking away just provides an opportunity to plot a path down across his jaw and lower.

“Thought you were in the middle of something?” Cloud's voice rumbles pleasantly over Andrea's ear.

Andrea purrs from against Cloud's pulse, nipping lightly. “You're _very_ distracting.”

He only gets a few more seconds before Cloud presses his hands firmly against Andrea's chest and pointedly steps back, out of Andrea's reach. “Like you said – I can wait until you finish up.”

“Spoilsport.” Andrea only holds the put-upon pout for a moment. Cloud's right, he really should finish cutting his hair before it gets much later. And now he even has a prize waiting at the end. “Make yourself at home, I'll only be a little while.”

Nodding, Cloud starts removing his gloves, and Andrea heads back towards the bathroom.

Taking a breath, setting himself back on the task at hand, Andrea removes the bathrobe and takes up the trimmer again. It's a struggle to keep to the meticulous and painfully slow pace he had before, but he doesn't have much choice as he gets to the back of his head.

After a stretch of time that can't possibly have been as long as it felt, Andrea shuts off the razor to clean it off once again before he tackles the final section of hair. And once again, he's interrupted by a knocking, though much closer and softer this time.

He looks over to see Cloud in the doorway. The blond starts to say something, falters for a second, starts again. “Can I be here?” he asks. “Or are you gonna get distracted again?”

Andrea smiles – if Cloud wants to wait in the same room, that's more than alright. The comfort of sharing space and being able to see Cloud is well worth any 'temptation.'

“I will do my very best to restrain myself,” Andrea replies, and raises the trimmers back to his head to show that he can stay on task.

If Cloud rolls his eyes, Andrea doesn't see it, but he does slip in and settles against the wall behind Andrea.

True to his word, Andrea remains undistracted from his task. Of course, he only needs his hands right now, feeling his way across the back of his bowed head by feel and not by sight. His eyes are perfectly free to watch Cloud from the mirror's reflection, and to catch the other man's gaze idly sweeping over the dancer's bare figure.

Andrea shuts off the razor, which draws Cloud's eyes back up to meet his through the mirror. He winks. Caught, Cloud glares back at him. Such a silly boy. Although, that gives Andrea an idea.

“How do I look?” Andrea asks. If he's going to have eyes on him, may as well put them to use.

Cloud doesn't take the bait. “Are you done?”

Someone's impatient, but Andrea can relate. “You tell me,” he replies lightly. “You can see the back better than I can – how does it look?”

Cloud blinks, surprised that the fishing for compliments was an actual request. He pushes away from his spot, stepping up behind Andrea and starts a quiet inspection.

At the brush of Cloud's fingers up his scalp, Andrea offers him the trimmer, which Cloud takes. He uses it a few times, quietly warning Andrea of the incoming contact by preceding it with a gentle touch of those slender fingers. As with everything, Cloud performs the task quickly and thoroughly, and after only a moment, he's done. “Okay, you're good.”

“Thank you, darling.” That was _much_ faster than doing an entire second pass to catch any missed spots. “Much appreciated.”

With a soft sound of acknowledgement, Cloud takes up the set-aside brush and dustpan, setting himself to cleanup duty. Alright then – Andrea gets out of his way and heads for the shower instead.

He doesn't linger under the water for too long, but Cloud is already gone by the time he gets out. Eager to catch up, the dancer hurriedly towels off and heads for the bedroom. As suspected, Cloud is already there, picking through the dresser. He's already set aside sleepwear for Andrea, now finding something more comfortable for himself.

Andrea's heart flutters as he dresses – for how prickly he is about it, nearly everything Cloud has done since he arrived was to reduce the time between him and Andrea's undivided attention, down to this last small step. And with this last step taken, he turns to Cloud, who is dressed down to a loose shirt and boxers.

“Now,” Andrea sighs as he saunters into Cloud's space, “where was I?”

Cloud slips his arms loosely over Andrea's shoulders, drawing him in and tilting up to meet his lips. Andrea reciprocates warmly, hands coming up to catch Cloud's hips, thumbs sneaking up under the hem of his shirt to stroke at the warm skin above his waistband.

The dancer only lets this continue for a moment before he steers Cloud back towards the bed. Hitting the edge, Cloud relinquishes his hold to fall back and ease himself onto the bed, Andrea following close behind. Ghosting another quick kiss to Cloud's lips before picking up where he left off at Cloud's throat. The blond lets out a sigh bordering on a groan, hands coming up to stroke at the nape of Andrea's neck and over his back, gently tugging to encourage him closer.

Obliging, Andrea eases his weight down, partially on and alongside Cloud, tangling their legs together, bracing an arm near his head so he can mirror Cloud's hand, which had been slowly sneaking higher along Andrea's head, heat generating along his scalp under the slow drag of Cloud's palm.

Andrea lazily traces a new path back up, gently pressing his lips to Cloud's jaw, chin, the corner of his mouth – or so he meant to, but Cloud intercepts him, capturing his lips and insistently deepening the kiss. A smile pulling at his lips, Andrea lets out a low hum as Cloud licks into his mouth, languidly stroking back with his own.

It's an interesting sensation, the familiar warmth of Cloud's mouth before him and the friction-heat of the hand nigh-on petting at his scalp. “Enjoying yourself, beautiful?” Andrea asks when Cloud breaks off with a sigh.

Those lovely two-tone eyes flicker open, a little dazed, taking a second to focus on the question. And then they widen a little, hand faltering in its motions. “I... it feels... different?”

Andrea kisses the tip of Cloud's nose, hoping to reassure, getting a reflexive wrinkle out of the blond. He can feel what Cloud means – his hair cut to a stubble that feels rough under his hands. “Do you hear me complaining?” Andrea continues, trailing his lips along the freckles that are scattered across Cloud's cheeks. “You can put your hands where _ever_ you like, sweetheart”

Predictably, Cloud ducks Andrea's comments and lips, twisting his head away to the side. Unfortunately for him, that just puts his ear in Andrea's reach, and the dancer wastes no time taking advantage of it. Nipping at the lobe, skirting the wolf stud, planting a kiss on the reddening shell. Nuzzling into soft yellow spikes, Andrea chuckles when Cloud huffs, undoubtedly rolling his eyes.

“After all, I spend plenty of time admiring _your_ hair,” Andrea murmurs, kissing the hair behind the ear. When he gets continued silence, Andrea shifts his weight onto Cloud's other side so he can be face-to-face with the resolutely stone-faced blond. _Adorable_. Andrea drags his free hand lightly, slowly across Cloud's firm chest, trailing it upward. “As well as every other part of you.”

Cloud's lips purse – whether he's fighting a smile, continuing his put-upon pout, perhaps both, Andrea can't quite tell – and he levels his unimpressed gaze at Andrea. “That's cause you're a sap.”

Andrea just smiles with ridiculous fondness for this silly, silly boy, and before Cloud can dodge him, taps the end of Cloud's nose with a finger. “And don't you forget it.”

Another wrinkle of his nose, and Cloud sighs. He shifts, rolling closer into Andrea, tucking down under the dancer's chin. Andrea rolls with him, settling onto his back so Cloud can curl against him, head on his shoulder. “How can I,” Cloud grumbles. “You never stop.”

Andrea lets that one lie, content to start carding his fingers though Cloud's hair. It's late, and the drowsiness he's been feeling starts to overtake, especially with Cloud's warmth pressing him into the soft bed. Twirling one of the longer locks around his finger, a sleepy thought creeps into Andrea's mind. “What if we used the trimmers on you, hmm? What do you think?”

“Think you'd cry.” Cloud hasn't entirely given up on being prickly, it seems, muffled as the retort is from Andrea's shoulder.

And he's not wrong – just picturing Cloud completely shorn of the silky blond locks between his fingers is breaking Andrea's heart a little.

“Maybe not all of it. Just parts of it...” Andrea starts trying to imagine Cloud with different, shorter hairstyles, though it's difficult to focus.

“You mean like the 'style' you had earlier?”

Andrea huffs a soft laugh. “I'm sure I could have made it work.”

“You looked ridiculous,” Cloud says without any bite.

“You _like_ ridiculous.”

Cloud turns and nuzzles into Andrea's shoulder, a show of affection and also a defense against any more attempts on his nose. “What gave you that idea?”

Andrea tries to retort that Cloud keeps coming back for more, but all that comes out is a large yawn. Cloud lifts himself off, looking to be in a similar state, pulling back at the covers before moving to turn off the light.

Getting into bed, Andrea assumes a similar position, and Cloud follows suit, settling back down against Andrea's chest, leg over Andrea's thigh, arm draped over Andrea's belly.

Andrea leans down to kiss the crown of Cloud's head, murmuring “Good night, my darling,” before he settles back onto the pillow.

“G'night, Andrea,” he hears as he starts to drift off, warm and contented to have Cloud back at his side.


End file.
